In recent years, plastic merchandise bags have largely supplanted paper bags in retail stores. Among the reasons for this development are the fact that plastic bags are cheaper, easier to handle, to ship and to store (particularly when they are provided in roll form); and that they are more easily recycled and may be readily provided in any of several desired sizes.
Among the more popular types of plastic bags are what have been termed "T-shirt" style merchandising bags. Heretofore, in the United States retailers have encountered problems, however, in removing plastic bags from rolls at cashier's or other merchandise packing stations, and doing so in an ergonomically and economically efficient manner. Among the problems encountered have been the disposition of the rolls under the counter, and the unrolling and detachment of bags from the rolls and their opening. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,793,539 and 4,930,385, the bags are rolled up in such a manner that when the bags are unrolled, the bag bottoms appear first. This requires the person utilizing the bag then to invert the bag to open it in order to place the merchandise to be packed within the bag. The bags also may be difficult to pull through the nozzles disclosed in the patents, and when finally pulled through the nozzle, the bags are so wrinkled as to be unsightly, and hence, not appreciated by the store's customers, or the store's checker who has to open them for loading.
In addition, the nozzles may not function properly all of the time. The bag being pulled out may not detach from succeeding bags so that the packer has to cope with more than one bag. It is also possible for an ensuing bag to drop back through the nozzle which then requires re-loading up through the nozzle.
Another objection to the nozzle system disclosed in the patents mentioned above is that the counter must be bored to provide holes large enough to enable the nozzles to be inserted and secured in the counter. This may require special boring equipment and skill. Such holes also ruin the counter for other uses, should the nozzles later be removed and the patented system abandoned. In addition, holes and nozzles in the counters decrease the usable counter space and may interrupt the flow of articles across the counter at the cashier's station.
Further, loading the rolls under the counter and threading the first bags through the nozzles as shown in these patents, would appear to require some type of kneeling operation--one which might not be appreciated by older or handicapped clerks, or women with nylon stockings.
Following applicant's invention, applicant has been informed that in Europe, as shown in at least one Scandinavian advertisement, small T-shirt type bags connected in series have been dispensed, straps first, from a roll in a housing having slotting, the center of which is constricted by opposed V-shaped flat members, the function of which, applicant understands, has been to snag ensuing bags as they are pulled through the housing slotting. This arrangement, however, has not lent itself to loading from behind the counter, as well as conveniently withdrawing and opening the bags. Nor has it been adopted nor suited for multiple sizes of plastic bags. With this arrangement, it is possible to pull multiple undetached bags through the U-shaped flat members without snagging them by pulling the first bag at an incorrect angle. The size of the housing restricts the number of bags on the roll to a relatively small amount. The bags can only be side-loaded as the arrangement does not permit either front or top loading.